Crime, Children, Truant Schools: United States. Massachusetts. Oakdale. Worcester County Truant School: Worcester County Truant School, Oakdale. 4-Jan

Curator: This composite image, titled "Crime, Children, Truant Schools," presents arithmetic exercises from the Worcester County Truant School. What strikes you about it? Editor: Well, the handwriting is neat, but it's just math problems on paper. It feels very… bureaucratic. What do you see in it? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on social control and the pathologizing of poverty. These aren't just sums; they represent children deemed "criminal" for truancy, often due to economic hardship. How does it change your perspective knowing these were tools of a system designed to assimilate and discipline marginalized youth? Editor: That reframes everything. It's not just arithmetic; it's a document of injustice. I hadn't considered the social implications behind what seemed like a simple school assignment. Curator: Precisely. Art can reveal these hidden power dynamics, prompting us to question whose stories are told and whose are silenced. Editor: I’ll never look at old schoolwork the same way again.